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I recently added a new hobby to my many other hobbies. This new hobby includes a new laser engraver / cutter. It is a fun and creative adventure, but there are things to learn about these tools and their many options and abilities. Not all lasers are created equal and different types are used for different tasks.
Over a course of about a year, off and on, I found that looking and researching different lasers can be a very complicated process due to all the different features and abilities each laser model and type have.
With this article, I hope to ease the process for you and at least give you some things to consider and for you to determine what is important to you.
Purpose and Application
First thing to do is to think about what types of projects are you interested in. This would include the type of material such as wood, acrylic, leather, glass, metal, and so on. Will you be engraving only, or do you intend to do some cutting as well? If you are wanting to cut material, think about the material type and thickness as this will greatly depend on the type of laser and the power you need to decide on.
Consider the size of projects you wish to engrave and/or cut. There are smaller lasers such as XTool F1 that may be ideal for smaller projects and where you may need portability. This engraver has a whopping 115mm x 115mm (4.5 inches x 4.5 inches) of work area, without the accessory to expand the work area. Other lasers might have a work area around 12 inches square, some units have more work area, and some units allow for extensions to allow for more work area.
Types of Lasers
There are various types of lasers, each designed for specific purposes. They come with unique strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different applications. Your choice should depend on your specific needs and the materials you plan to work with.
You may even consider lasers that are multitool, such as the Snapmaker 3 in 1, which does 3D printing, laser engraving and cutting, and has a module for CNC Router.
CO2 Laser
The CO2 lasers can work with a variety of materials, including paper, wood, acrylic, leather, cardboard, MDF, felt, rubber, bamboo, fabric, glass, ceramic, marble, cement, plated metal, and painted metal.
These units are usually larger in size but are known for their more precise cutting abilities. Due to their size and extensive abilities, their price tag comes at a higher price point than the other laser types listed below.
Fiber Lasers
The fiber laser can provide deep engraving and can cut thin metal.
This type of unit can work with materials such as brass, stainless steel, aluminum, paper, wood, leather, MDF, and some dark opaque acrylic.
Diode Lasers
The diode laser is known for its portability and for being more budget friendly. This unit is probably the most popular for those who are just starting out and don’t need the expensive high-end fiber or CO2 units.
Just like the other laser types, they can work with materials such as paper, wood, leather, MDF, felt, and some dark opaque acrylic.
Diode lasers use a bright, highly focused light to engrave or cut through material. Cutting through metal is very unlikely.
This is the only type of laser I have worked with and that I have researched when looking for a laser. Because of this, the items below that I talk about will be primarily focused on diode lasers.
Power and Speed
After you have decided on a type of laser you may need for your projects, you will need to figure what power and speed range you may need. These two features go hand in hand with each other. I explain more below.
Laser Power (Wattage)
The laser power is measured in wattage and will give you an idea on how thick of a material you might be able to cut. If you plan on engraving only, then a lower wattage may be just fine. For diode lasers, you will find them in wattages typically from 5w all the way up to around 40w.
Laser power determines the energy of the laser and influences the depth and width of the cut. Higher wattage = wider cut. This can impact the detail on more intricate work. This can also cause more smoke and charring.
I can’t go into detail here on what wattage to use for cutting a particular material because it appears each laser manufacturer are a little different, but I can tell you that I can easily cut 1/8″ Baltic Birch plywood (paid link) with my 10w xTool D1 Pro (paid link).
When looking at lasers, review the wattage and it’s abilities with manufactures specs to make sure it is capable of performing the way you want for the projects you intend to make.
Speed
Speed in laser cutting and engraving is important for quality and efficiency. As the name suggests, speed is how fast the laser head moves.
Adjusting this setting will have different outcomes on different materials and the power used. Some manufacturers have published their recommended settings for power and speed based on the material type and thickness and if you are engraving or cutting.
Here are some key points to keep in mind when it comes to speed:
- Detail of work: Faster speeds tend to be used for less detailed work, while slower speeds tend to be used for more intricate designs.
- Cutting through material: If the cutting speed is too high, the laser might not cut through the material all the way. If the cutting speed is too low, you may risk the laser burning the edges of the cut material, creating a poor finish.
- Balance with Power: As mentioned above, power and speed go hand in hand. Typically, the higher the laser power used, the faster the cutting speed needs to be. The same goes for the other way around. It is crucial to have a balance between the power and speed to avoid poor quality output. The best thing to do here is to run tests on similar material you plan to use on the final project.
Accessories
Different laser manufacturers have different accessories you can use with their lasers. Here are a few that you may want to consider and can be used with most projects.
Air Assist
I highly recommend you get air assist for your laser if you can. This device is essentially an air pump that has a hose connected at or near the laser lens. Here are some of the benefits of using air assist:
- It reduces charring by blowing away the burnt particles from the laser beam.
- It improves the quality of the cut and engravings by blowing away excess loose material from the path of the laser.
- It helps keep the laser lens cleaner for a longer period of time by blowing away smoke and debris. You will still need to clean your lens, but not necessarily as often as you would without air assist.
I use the xTool Air Assist (paid link) with my laser.
Honeycomb Bed
The honeycomb bed is something that I will say you must have if you are doing any kind of laser cutting or engraving.
This is a type of work surface that has a honeycomb-like structure in most cases and is made of metal. It is often accompanied with a sheet of sheet metal such as aluminum.
There are a few benefits to having one:
- It helps supports materials and can be used with additional accessories such as magnets or small hold-downs to hold the material in place while the laser operates.
- It raises the material off the actual worktable, thereby reducing the amount of backlash from the laser reflecting back to the underside of the material, which would cause damage.
- The sheet of aluminum that the honeycomb comes with is used to protect the worktable beneath.
- It helps with ventilation by providing a more open structure beneath the work piece. This helps dissipate heat and smoke generated by the laser cutting process.
I have been happy with the xTool Honeycomb (paid link) as it fits well with my xTool laser.
Rotary Tool
If you plan on engraving onto any kind of cylinder type object, you will want to consider getting a rotatory tool. This is a standalone tool that connects to the laser and has a mounting chuck to hold the object in place. It rotates as needed while the laser does it’s engraving process.
Camera
This is an accessory that I wish I had because when I see other people using a camera, the setup looks so much easier.
The camera allows you to view the work area on your computer and since this is possible, you can then move your digital artwork around onto the work piece exactly where you want it. The work piece or pieces don’t have to be perfectly lined up or orientated the same as others because you can move and rotate the digital design as needed for each piece. Without the camera, you have to make sure everything is lined up and rotated perfectly.
Some lasers come standard with a camera and some lasers allow for one to be added onto later.
Working Area
The work area is the area that the laser can operate and will determine the size of project you can work with. Some are small such as the xTool F1 that I previously mentioned. Some allow for approximately 12 inch x 12 inch work area. Others might be larger.
Some lasers such as the xTool D1 do not have an enclosure. A benefit to that is that some of these devices have extensions that can be added to allow the work area to become larger. If you get a laser that is fully enclosed, you are pretty much stuck to that size. For most projects you might be doing, this may not be an issue, but is something to keep in mind when you are shopping for a new laser.
Safety Features
I felt that these safety features would be separate from accessories because they may be a necessity depending on your setup.
Alarms
You are working with a laser, which is a very bright and focused light. So bright and focused that it can cut through various types of materials. You may have played around with a magnifying glass as a kid and lit things on fire with it (or maybe not). This is much stronger than that. The process generates a lot of heat in a concentrated spot and things can go wrong and catch fire. A laser that has fire alarms built in are a plus to your safety.
Enclosures
Some lasers come with built-in enclosures, while others don’t. You usually have an option to get an enclosure for those that don’t. I don’t have one for mine, but I could see that it would be handy if I was to connect up an exhaust system. The enclosure could also help keep the rails and other components cleaner if the unit is in a dirtier environment.
Exhaust System
I don’t have an exhaust system, but at times I wish I did even though my laser is setup in my garage. It does get smokey in there at times depending how much cutting of wood I am having it do, but I do have the option to open the garage door and turn on a fan to help move the smoke out. Some materials put off toxic fumes when cut with a laser and you will want to exhaust those fumes out.
Software
XCS (xTool Creative Space) is standard with XTool, but Lightburn is also compatible and seems to be highly recommended by many people who use it. I have not yet tried Lightburn because it does cost, although not much as it is $60 at the time of me writing this. Instead, I use Inkscape and then import the design into XCS. I have also used AutoCAD (only because I have access to it through my job) and export the design to .DXF format so that I can import it directly into XCS or Inkscape for further editing or processing.
If you have access to Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, then you don’t need Inkscape. These all produce scalable vector graphics (SVG) file formats. If you don’t have access to Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, then you can use the free opensource software Inkscape.
A cool thing with some of this software such as XCS is that they are also available on your Android phone or iOS, so if you have a quick project you want to try out, you can easily do it from your device, especially if the design is already created.
Budget
Your budget might be tight like mine was when I was looking at lasers. Sometimes it is tough buying something that could be pricey if you have no idea if you will truly enjoy this new hobby of yours.
Think about how much you are willing to spend if price matters.
You may need to consider if this is just a hobby or if you plan on making profits from it.
Your budget is 100 percent up to you and I cannot steer you one way or the other, but it may certainly be something for you to consider.
Support and Warranty
There are quite a few laser manufacturers out there these days. Even though the costs of some of these laser are low, I recommend finding one where the manufacturer has good customer support and at least some kind of warranty. I have read too many reviews on lasers where people complained about not being able to make contact with customer support and that is something you may want to consider avoiding if possible.
Community Resources
Another thing to consider when looking at lasers is the community resources.
Are there Facebook pages or groups you can join that are specific to that type of laser?
Are there online forums or other groups people share their experiences, tips, or tricks?
I have found some for xTool that have been helpful in this new journey of mine.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Hopefully this article helps you in figuring out what type of laser and accessories you may want or need for the tasks you want to perform with it. There really is no short and quick answer due to all the different options out there these days and what kind of budget you have.
Here is a short outline of items to help break this down:
- You will want to determine the type of materials you want to work with including the thickness, shapes, if it is wood, metal, plastic, or something else.
- Will you be needing certain accessories, such as a rotary tool?
- Your work area, including the amount of space needed and how you will exhaust the fumes and smoke.
- Determine if you will be primarily engraving or if cutting will be involved.
- Determine if high detail in cutting is needed.
- How fast you want to get the work done, if time matters.
- Finally, your budget.
It can be a lot to consider for some people, especially if you are just starting out.
Good luck with your new journey with lasers and I hope you find one you enjoy!
Please feel free to ask questions or leave your tips on selecting a laser in the comments below.
Rick Simper has various hobbies, including woodworking, metalworking, composting, and gardening. He is an Architect full time and uses these hobbies to get away from the busy week of Architecture.
